VOA标准英语2010年-Deadly Viral Disease Could Put 50 Mill

A U.N. agency warns that more than 50-million sheep and goats in 15 southern Africa countries may be at risk of contracting a deadly viral disease. The warning follows an outbreak of the disease earlier this year in Tanzania.
The disease is called Peste des Petits Ruminants or PPR. The Food and Agriculture Organization says the disease is on a par¹ with rinderpest, which has devastated² cattle in the past. But while rinderpest is on the verge³ is being eradicated⁴, PPR is on the verge of spreading across southern Africa.
A potential plagueThe FAO's Jan Slingenbergh is head of EMPRES, the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases.
"It is the plague of small ruminants. It can be a very aggressive killer⁵ virus. But, at times, it also hides itself and does not show much clinical disease. But usually it brings a lot of damage, a lot of clinical disease and it kills a lot of animals," he says.
After the damage is done, PPR can lie in wait for another opportunity to strike.
"Once the epidemic⁶ has been through an area it may stay away for two, three years. And then, by that time, there is a new population of small ruminants of sheep and goats, many of which are young animals. They've never, ever been exposed. And then again a new epidemic starts," he says.
2010 outbreakFear that the PPR virus might spread follows its detection earlier this year in southern Tanzania, near the border with Mozambique.
"Now, incursion from Tanzania into Mozambique may not be a major, immediate⁷ threat. But with the virus circulating in the southern highlands of Tanzania, there is a high probability that the virus finds its way into Zambia and Malawi," he says.
The FAO official says there's a chance the PPR virus is still circulating in southern Tanzania, even if there are no active outbreaks. To stem the possible spread, the U.N. agency recommends widespread vaccination⁸.
"That would be the top priority in order to sanitize, to remove any field strains that might still be present," says Slingenbergh.
It also recommends much greater surveillance for possible PPR outbreaks in northern Tanzania. This would allow immediate action to be taken should a problem arise.
Slingenbergh says Morocco faced a PPR epidemic and took decisive action.
"Morocco not too long ago became overrun by the same Peste des Petits Ruminants virus. And what Morocco did was quite exemplary. It vaccinated⁹ the entire national flock of sheep and goats. And with it, it has probably eliminated virus circulating in Morocco," he says.
Slingenbergh says all southern African countries should take the situation in southern Tanzania very seriously. He says the justification¹⁰ exists to prepare for the worst.

1 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

2 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

3 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

4 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

9 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

10 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。